APOD: 2026 June 15 – Triple Shockwave from Sun Crossing Rocket
Astronomy Picture of the Day
Discover the cosmos!<br>Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
2026 June 15
Triple Shockwave from Sun Crossing Rocket
Image Credit & Copyright:<br>John Winkopp<br>(WAI Media)
Explanation:<br>What's happening to this Sun-crossing rocket?
The SpaceX<br>Falcon 9 rocket, visible on the upper left,<br>launched only about one minute before this amazing image was captured.
As it rose to low Earth orbit from<br>Cape Canaveral,<br>Florida,<br>USA,<br>in late May, the rocket became<br>supersonic before it<br>crossed the disk of the distant Sun --<br>from the perspective of the well-placed photographer.
The spacecraft's high speed caused<br>bow-shaped compressed-air<br>shockwaves to form across leading surfaces,<br>with at least three visible even outside<br>the Sun's disk because they<br>refract sunlight.
The<br>trailing exhaust caused<br>turbulence visible on the lower right.
None of this was damaging to the robotic<br>Starlink 10-53 mission,<br>which delivered 29 communications satellites to<br>low Earth orbit as planned.
And if that isn't<br>amazing enough - the Sun had<br>spots!
Sky Surprise:<br>What picture did APOD feature on your birthday? (after 1995)
Tomorrow's picture: rings and moons
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